There appear to be just three consistencies in life: death, taxes and the Prescott Cardinals softball team winning a Division 3 regional championship.

Prescott won its fifth consecutive D3 regional title with an 8-1 victory at home against Elk Mound on Thursday, May 25. The five-peat dates back to the 2018 campaign – excluding the COVID year in 2020 – and spans three coaching regimes.

Former head coach Matt Smith began the run of titles in 2018, Abbie Morris continued the success with another regional championship in 2019 and Nick Johnson, Prescott’s current headman, has coached the Cardinals to the three most recent titles.

“This program has been so spoiled with great players, great pitching and great coaching, way before me,” Johnson said. “We talk about what Matt (Smith) did, what Abbie Morris did and even before Matt we had great coaching. This program has been built for more than 20 years, and this is another great group of girls to coach and be around. They’re phenomenal kids.”

Johnson’s girls left no doubt in the 2023 regional title game against Elk Mound on Thursday evening. Prescott’s leadoff hitter, senior outfielder Addie Raebel, walked in her first plate appearance of the game in the bottom of the first inning. Raebel stole second and then advanced to third when Elk Mound made an errant throw while trying to catch Raebel stealing.

Later in the inning, sophomore Leah French blasted a two-out RBI single into the outfield that scored Raebel from third and gave Prescott a 1-0 lead. Although French’s RBI gave the Cardinals just a one-run advantage, Johnson believes it settled his team into the big game.

“Addie (Raebel) got on after she had a great at-bat and walked,” Johnson said. “She stole second and got to third when they overthrew her. Leah (French) came up and got a base hit up the middle with two outs. Getting one (run) in the first instantly took the pressure off.”

Prescott and Elk Mound played the second through fourth innings scoreless, although each team had its share of offensive opportunities. The Cardinals threatened with multiple baserunners in the third and fourth innings, while Elk Mound began the top of the fifth with a leadoff double.

The Mounders’ baserunner advanced to third when the ensuing batter grounded out. With a runner in scoring position and just one out, Prescott senior ace pitcher Taylor Graf struck out Elk Mound’s next two batters to get out of the frame.

The Cardinals’ offense exploded shortly thereafter, as Prescott strung together half a dozen hits en route to a six-run bottom of the fifth inning that broke the game open. For Coach Johnson, that game-changing frame was a product of Prescott’s hitters seeing the opposing pitcher a third time.

“It was just kind of an explosion,” Johnson said. “Our baserunning was phenomenal and we put a lot of pressure on them, and then it was a hit parade. That was our third time seeing their pitcher and we started hitting. That was a big inning to have in what was a tight 1-0 game.”

Prescott added an insurance run in the sixth inning to make it an 8-0 contest before Elk Mound scored its lone run in the top of the seventh. The Cardinals cruised to an 8-1 victory. In Coach Johnson’s eyes, his team is peaking at the right time, as this is as well as they’ve played all year.

“This is absolutely as well as we’ve played and we’ve finally kind of put everything together,” Johnson said. “For as good as Taylor (Graf) has been throwing, we’ve been just as good defensively. We’re hitting the ball, baserunning is solid – we’re doing everything we should be.”

Prescott’s star players including Graf, French and shortstop Izzy Matzek have been instrumental in the Cardinals’ success this season. However, one player, the aforementioned Raebel, has been the Cardinals’ vocal leader behind the scenes.

In addition to her locker room leadership, Raebel has also been lights-out at the plate through the first two playoff games. Raebel went 2-for-2 with two walks, three runs scored and an RBI in the 10-0 regional semifinal win against Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau at home on Tuesday, May 23.

Two days later, Raebel went 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and another RBI in the regional title game against Elk Mound. Raebel spoke about her sudden offensive spark this postseason and how the dreams of a state title still run rampant through her mind.

“I think it took a little bit for me to get going, but something has clicked in me since the playoffs started,” Raebel said. “It’s time to get going and I’ve dreamt about a state championship my entire life. The softball team has never brought a state championship back. I think this could be our year.”

Raebel has become the locker room leader for a Prescott Cardinals team that once again has a date with Baldwin-Woodville in the Division 3 sectional semifinal. Although Baldwin-Woodville swept Prescott in the regular season series, both games went down to the wire.

The first of two contests this season remained scoreless through the first seven innings. Each team added a run in the ninth before Baldwin-Woodville hung five runs in the top of the 10th which culminated in Prescott’s 6-1 defeat.

Just three days later, Prescott went to Baldwin-Woodville and lost a 12-11 shootout that again went down to the final pitch. Despite getting swept, Raebel and the Cardinals are confident that they’re going to topple the rival Blackhawks in the upcoming sectional semifinal.

“I have never felt more confident in a team in my entire life,” Raebel said. “Last year our chemistry was there, but we had some ups and downs. This year, we’ve never had an issue with our chemistry and you can see it on the field. I think we’re a better team than Baldwin. This playoff run is going to be our run.”

The two Middle Border Conference elites are slated to clash in the Division 3 sectional semifinal in Baldwin on Tuesday, May 30. The first pitch for that contest is slated for 5 p.m.